The KISS Remasters from 1997-1998

Hello everybody

This is my first post.
I've been reading the differents threads on this forum and I've found them very informative and interesting. I'll surely gonna learn a lot just by reading.

Being a Kiss fan myself (from their glory days not today's embarrassing version), I'd like to know your opinion about the Kiss' catalog remasters released in 97-98. Do they made justice to the original vinyl releases?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Regards,
Rock 76

 

Welcome aboard!

I've only heard the Destroyer remaster and I like that one a lot. The vinyl was never that great sounding to begin with, so I am quite content with the CD.

Sean

 

Rock and Roll Over and Creatures of the Night sound amazing. Very crisp sound.

 

I am a hugh Kiss fan and the CD's are very close to the vinyl. hey sound great. A remastered catalog done right! (Except for the horrid Xerox like covers for some of the artwork)

 

Must agree. The Kiss Alive remastered cd that I own is much better than the original vinyl. Just goes to show you have to take these things on a case by case basis.

 

I totally agree with you. I forgot that I also have "Unmasked" on CD and the artwork is terrible.

 

You can't even read the story. I can't believe the artwork was tossed so they had to use copies.

 

I could have done a better job scanning the LP cover and cleaning it up in Photoshop.

 

I actually kept the original Crazy Nights booklet and sold the remastered booklet w/ the original CD. I was so fed up.

 

I also thought of doing that. But at the last moment I kept the remaster as it is.
I wanted to have the remastered CD as a whole (with the ugly xerox like cover included as well )

 

Hey Rock 76!

I like the KISS remasters a lot Especially Alive. Speaking of today's embarrassing version, check out Bob Rivers parody "I Used to Rock And Roll All Night". I may be a fan, but I'm also grounded in reality The clip available in the link below, streams the entire song.

http://www.bobrivers.com/store/store_detail.asp?ProductID=6

Welcome aboard!

 

Very nice parody. And full of truth specially.

 

Personally, I don't like 'em.

 

Why Not?

Take care,
Brett

 

KISS or the 97-98 Remasters?

 

Or both!

 

Love KISS The remasters are a bit bright for my tastes.

 

So you prefer the vinyl, or the original CDs???

 

I'd sure like to find vinyl that's both inexpensive and non-trashed. For now the original CDs will do, but they're not perfect...

 

Ebay's a good place to find Kiss vinyl in fine condition. And the best of all, at affordable prices.

 

The original CDs, remastered by George Marino were clearly not from first-gen master mixes in some cases. Hotter Than Hell and the first two Alive albums had sonic glitches such as white noise, etc. The others weren't bad, but the remasters are clearly the way to go.

Take it from a longtime KISS fan (27 years and counting) - the remasters sound great, have replicas of the original liner notes and packaging (even the booklets from the live albums are there - albeit in much smaller form) and can be gotten very cheaply, either as "sound savers" budget line items or used.

 

Word of warning for non-US forum members who may be interested in the remasters: the replicated packaging for Alive II and Double Platinum are only available in the US. In Canada, Alive II doesn't contain the tattoo sheet, and Double Platinum has a cheap-looking printed reproduction of the cover instead of the original embossed foil packaging.

 

Strange to see so many positive remarks about remasters here. I have done tons of A/B tests with original CDs and found remasters to be kinda bright and very unnatural. Typical modern remastering. Original CDs, while clearly not on LP sonic level however sound really good. Now i was VERY tempted to get the japanese mini-replicas (similair to US remasters) but just could not stand the sound!

 

The problem with the original KISS CDs is that inferior tapes were used on some of the discs, particularly Hotter Than Hell and that the sonic deficiencies stood out like a sore thumb. I think it's wrong to generalize, as many remasters improve greatly on the sound of the originals. The KISS CDs sound much better in their remastered form and in my mind are the definitive versions - unless of course, Universal unlocks the vault and does a "deluxe version" of one of them.

 

Anyone know if the Creatures of the Night remaster is the same mix as the original vinyl? Didn't the mix get changed for the original cd release?